Half of his eight to maecus bannee



UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ROTHENBUCHER, OF VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO MARCUS BANNER, OF SAME PLACE.

BUCKLE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,629, dated April 20, 1880.

Application filed December 30, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN ROTHENEUCHEE, of Virginia City, in the county ot Storey and State of Nevada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in buckles; and it consists in forming a buckle of sheet metal in three separate parts, consisting of a main slide with or without teeth or serrated edges and two auxiliary slides or locking-pieces to bear against the main slide and hold it in place.

Its object is to forma buckle that may be readily attached to any article to which a bucklel is ordinarily applied without sewing, and readily detached therefrom, also chan ged from one position to another upon the straps which it serves to unite, and that will permit either ofthe straps to be independently drawn up or shortened.

In the drawings, Figure l isa plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through the line z Q Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan of the auxiliary slide or locking-piece. Fig. 4 is a view ot' the main slide. Figs. 5 and 6 show modiiications in the form of the main slide, and represent the outer edge or tlange on each side of the slots elongated or widened and curved or turned back toward the center on opposite sides. Fig. 7 is a vertical section, showing the buckle in position, constructed in the modied form.

B represents the main slide, having the slots or openings C Cand the teeth D D. A G are the locking-slides, which are constructed in a form similar to the main slide, except that they are made narrower and without teeth or serrated edges.

The operation of my invention is as follows: `lhe straps to be united are inserted through the openings C C of the main slide from opposite directions. The locking-slides A G are then slipped upon the ends of the straps, one on each, and brought up against the main piece B, so that the inner edge of each will rest upon one side of the main piece. When it is desired to release the tension it may be done from either side by moving the lockingslide on that side in the direction of the end of the strap, or it may be done upon both sides at once by moving both locking-slides outwardly. The straps may be taken up or tightened in a corresponding manner by moving thelocking-slides in the opposite direction; or the position et' the buckle may be changed from side to side, without altering the tension, by moving all the pieces together' in either direction, and when necessary to remove the buckle for the purpose of cleansing the article to which it is attached, it can be readily done in the same manner.

The teeth D D on the main slide serve as an additional security to prevent the buckle from slipping, but are not absolutely essential, as it will hold quite firmly without them.

I have represented my buckle with the main piece B perfectly flat, but it may also be constructed with the curved liange, as shown vin the modification, Figs. 5 and 6, in which case the edge of the locking-piece A will rest on the iian ge and cause the central portion of the main slide B to assume more nearly the same plane with the straps.

It will be readily seen thatby this construction I secure a safe and convenient buckle, free from the long projecting points with which buckles are ordinarily provided and that serve to prick and lacerate the hands ot' the operator.

It will also be seen that the greater the tension on the straps the more securely the buckle will hold, from the fact that the part-s of whichit is composed will be drawn more tightly together and caused to more firmly gripe the strap.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a buckle, the combination ot a central serrated locking-piece, B, and two exterior sliding pieces, A G, substantially as shown and described.

2. A buckle consisting ot' two exterior sliding pieces, A G, one ot' which, A, presses against one end ot' the locking-piece, and the other, G, presses against the opposite end of said locking-piece, so as to prevent slipping of the buckle-strap, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN ROTHENBUCHER.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. PARKER, W. H. BooK. 

